Self-locking leg-band for poultry or birds.



No. 720,286. PATENTBD FEBPILO, 190s. c. c. SGHILD.

SELF LOCKING LEG BAND FOR POULTRY 0R BIRDS. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1902.

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CHARLES C. SOHILD, OF IONIA, MICHIGAN.

SELF-LOCKING LEG-BAND FOR POULTRY OR BIRDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 720,28 6, dated February 10, 1903. Application filed September 1902. Serial No. 123383. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. SOHILD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Ionia,

Poultry or Birds; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact'description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to self -locking legbands for poultry, pigeons, &c., for the purpose of identification of the same by means of numeralssuch as l, 2, 3, 4, &c.or any other distinguishing marks stamped or printed thereon to distinguish one fowl or bird from another; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of its parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described, and definitely pointed out in the claims.

The objects of my invention are to provide a self-locking leg-band, which is simple in its construction, one which may be easily and quickly applied to the leg of a fowl or bird without the use of pliers or other mechanical devices, and which is so firmly constructed that it cannot be removed therefrom without destroying the band, also one which may be constructed with the waste of but little material, thus enabling it to be cheaply or economically manufactured. I attain these objects by means of the device herein described, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved self-locking leg-band shown partly formed in an unlocked position. Fig. 2 isfla perspective View, in locked position, as it appears after having been applied to the leg of a fowl or bird. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the inner side of the band, showing its construction before it has been formed as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of same, taken on the line w x of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section'of my improved self-locking leg-band in locked position.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a strip of metal of suitable length, breadth, and thickness, having at one end the tongue (1 formed thereon and integral therewith. Said tongue a is oblong in form and has an offset 1) in it at or near the portion where it joins the strip A, which constitutes the body portion of my improved self-locking leg-band. The tongue 0; by reason of the offset 1) being formed therewith is forced outward to a distance equal to the thickness of the metal of which it is formed, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

0 is a hook formed on the inner surface of the tongue a near its outer end. It is of the form indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the outer or engaging portion 1 of which is at a right angle to the outer and inner surfaces of the tongue a, from which it is struck. The purpose of this form of construction is to give a minimum amount of frictional surface, and thereby allow. the leg-band to be easily and readily locked.

e is a guide formed on the end of the metal strip A, the inner edge of which is of little longer length than the end of the tongue a, made so by reason of its having been cut and forced out of said metal strip A. The purpose of said guide e will be more fully hereinafter explained. On the opposite end of the metal strip A is a guard f, forced out of the metal to form the depression 70, the inner surface of which is of the same contour as the outer end of the tongue at. Ithas anopening g in one end for the reception of the tongue (1, with its hook c, the outer end portion h of the metal strip A being used as a place for securement when the band is in locked position.

The manner of adjusting my improved selflocking leg-band is as follows The metal strip Ahaving been placed against the leg of a fowl or bird midway its outer ends said ends are formed around and brought together, and the tongue a, with its hook c, is passed over the outer surface h of said metal strip A, and said end portion h is depressed at the same time in order to allow said tongue (1 to enter the opening 9, while the guide e (see Figs. 2 and 5) is brought within the inner surface of the metal strip A to preserve the form thereof, and in combination with the hook c the edge 2 is brought in contact with the inner edge 3' of the engaging portion 72, and the lock is formed (it being understood that the engaging portion h returns to its normal position after the hook c has passed the same and entered the opening 9 into the depression 10 formed in the guard f) and so remains, as the guard f prevents the disengagement of the tongue a with its hook o therefrom.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A self-locking leg-band for poultry or birds consisting of a strip of sheet metal A, having a tongue at, at one end with a hook 0, formed thereon, a guard f, at the other end having an opening g, at its outer end, and an engagement portion h, adjacent thereto, said engagement portion h, and guard f, being adapted to engage and hold said leg-band in locked position, substantially as described.

CHARLES C. SCHILD.

Witnesses:

ETHAN T. MONTGOMERY, HARVEY E. KIDDER. 

